Archive for July, 2014

Do you ever have that moment of panic when you realize you have nothing for dessert and you’ve friends coming for dinner? I sometimes get so caught up making the main course that I have no time left to make dessert. Rather than rush out and buy a dessert though, there are plenty of things you can whip up in minutes to create a wonderful home-made dessert.
Butterscotch sauce is my go- to desert option when I am short on time. Continue reading »

Weeds. They are the most annoying thing, even for gardening experts. Even those with the greenest of thumbs will curse the blasted weeds that – at this time of the year – rule the ridges of the garden or allotment.
Last night I got an email from someone asking questions about the Electric Car we are test driving for Renault Ireland in conjunction with GIY Nation. Continue reading »

When I go to the grocer’s I like to go to the rack at the back of the shop first. My local grocer has a big spiral stand-alone shelf near the fridge where he puts his out of date vegetables that have gone a bit squishy. There’s nothing wrong with the vegetables, just most people like to buy firm, crunchy veg and not things with a bit of give to them.
This week I got the selection above which was sweet potato, aubergine, red pepper, spring onions and garlic for just a few cents. Continue reading »

Image courtesy of Ariel House/Paula Ryan Photography
I think that afternoon tea in Ariel House is fast becoming one of Dublin’s worst kept secrets. I have been recommending it to everyone in real life, and on Twitter, as have many others. So I decided that it was about time that I shared the secret with you lovely blog readers too. Nestled beside Lansdowne Road, or the Aviva Stadium as it is now known, Ariel House is a charming hotel within a beautiful Victorian house. Continue reading »

Why, hello there! It’s been a while. I’ve been absent without leave these past few weeks but it wasn’t because I forgot about you. As if that could ever happen! No, I often thought about how I was neglecting my poor food blog. It’s just that I didn’t know what I could do about it.My problem was (as I take a sharp intake of breath), I had lost my enthusiasm for food. Continue reading »

Campo Viejo is the “dependable” Rioja. Even in Spain, according to our guide on a recent Tapas Trail. And not just in Spain. It is in the No. 1 Rioja position worldwide. And one can see why, or at least taste why, in this bottle. The wine has been aged for 18 months in French and American oak and a further 18 months aging in the bottle. Continue reading »

Both Salon.com and Modern Farmer recently ran pieces addressing rampant rumors that some parts of the world are facing local shortages of kale. Basically, adding fuel to the fire, major seed producers are now making public statements that they are running out of stock for most varieties of the suddenly buzz-worthy superfood. But is all the hubbub really warranted?
Salon.com’s coverage is decidedly skeptical about this latest global food crisis. Continue reading »

Just 24 hours. That’s all we had on Inis Mór. It’s not enough time to do all the things we wanted to do. The last thing we wanted to do was to climb on board a tour bus. Hubby spends enough of his time driving buses so even if it meant we missed out on some of the landmarks, for the most part we walked.
Journey
It takes about 3 hours from Dublin to Rossaveal Harbour, where you can park your car to get aboard the ferry. Continue reading »

Taste of the Week. Your Pick!
Trying to break the logjam in the Taste of the Week room. Four beauties to pick from here and, not surprisingly at this time of year, three of them are drinks, two non alcoholic by the way!

A superb ale from 9 White Deer, the new brewery in Ballyvourney.This is their first beer and has great flavour and just the requisite amount of bitterness.Well worth a try and I’ll be on the lookout for their next beers, which willinclude an oatmeal stout! Continue reading »

From the official brewery of the American outdoors comes Mama’s Little Yella Pils, a 5.3% ABV pilsner lager. Yella is right: a brilliant glaring gold, shot through with just a slight haze and topped by a stiff white foam.
I’m sure a brewery of integrity like Oskar Blues brews this from an all-malt recipe, but there’s a certain corny quality to the taste; a sweetness I normally associate with the cheaper ‘n’ nastier sort of lagers. Continue reading »

PEI, it’s potato country here – it’s a big part of who we are as an island, a big part of who we are as a culture
Kendra Mills, Marketing Director, PEI Potato Board

The first thing, the very first thing that Grant, my endlessly amiable guide did when I landed on Prince Edward Island – before lunch, before a cup of tea, even – was to whisk me off to the offices of the PEI Potato Board. Continue reading »

PEI, it’s potato country here – it’s a big part of who we are as an island, a big part of who we are as a culture
Kendra Mills, Marketing Director, PEI Potato Board

The first thing, the very first thing that Grant, my endlessly amiable guide did when I landed on Prince Edward Island – before lunch, before a cup of tea, even – was to whisk me off to the offices of the PEI Potato Board. Continue reading »

I have a special place in my heart for ham hocks. Certainly not the most attractive ingredient to hold a fondness for, but I put it down to my inner cheapskate. I love the idea that for very little money you can produce something delicious. This ham hock recipe doesn’t use gelatin, but if you prefer a firmer setting you could add a leaf of gelatin to the cooking liquid once the ham hocks are cooked. You can also make the terrine in individual Kilner jars to serve. Continue reading »

This soup is a great favourite in the spring when the nettles are young. nettles are full of minerals and vitamins which purify the blood. In the country nettle tea was also drunk, made by pouring boiling water over chopped nettles, boiling for about 15 minutes, then straining and adding milk and sugar. This was often given to children who had measles. It is said to have been a favourite of St Columcille. Continue reading »

Black Forest Cake is a traditional German dessert that has been well and truly adopted by happy dessert eaters worldwide. Typically, black forest cake consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. Then the cake is decorated with additional whipped cream, more cherries, and chocolate shavings. Continue reading »

We’re coming close to the end of my RTÉ One series which finishes up next week. I’ve had such lovely feedback on twitter and facebook and I am so thrilled to hear it has brought back some wonderful food memories for many. In last week’s episode I learned the traditional Irish method of planting potatoes and I got to cook surprisingly delicious cheddar yeast rolls with mashed potato as a key ingredient, in a bastible over an open fire. Continue reading »

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This November The Great Irish Bake is back and Kitchen Hero Donal Skehan is helping out with sharing recipes and promoting the event. The Great Irish Bake is in aid of helping sick and seriously ill children get the treatment they need. Head over to The Great Irish Bake to register online and be in the chance of winning a trip to New York when you help raise funds for Temple Street Children’s University Hospital. The site also has hints, tips, recipes and all that goes with an event like this.

This is the Facebook for The Great Irish Bake and of course the Twitter hashtag is: #thegreatirishbake

The Great Irish Bake organisers have shared a recipe with us and also a picture of Donal Skehan with his kids from his first marriage. Some of this might be a lie.

The Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a standalone mixture beat together the butter and sugar. Add in the egg and
mix through.
3. Using a wooden spoon mix through the flour, baking powder, salt, mixed spice
and vanilla extract until you have a biscuit dough.
4. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and roll out to about 1cm in thickness.
5. Cut out biscuit shapes, place on the lined baking tray, then using a smaller cutter
or a small knife cut out the center of each cookie.
6. Sprinkle the crushed sweets into the centre of the cookie and place in the oven
7. Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire
wrack.

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